Update (November 1): Micromax showed off the phones, debunking the correlation between In Mobiles and Huawei/Honor. The original story has been retained below, but it no longer holds true.
Micromax is set to make a big return to the Indian smartphone market next week, with the launch of the new ‘In’ series of smartphones. While we await more details around its specs and pricing, conspiracy theorists think that the company will be rebadging Honor phones this time.
Earlier this year, Micromax announced that it will resume selling smartphones in India. Eventual developments confirmed that this return will happen under a new umbrella — In Mobiles. On November 3, two budget devices will be launched in the sub Rs 15,000 segment, powered by the gaming-centric MediaTek Helio G25 and the G35 chipsets. The rest of the specifications are yet to be officially confirmed.
In the usual pre-launch buzz campaigns, the company shared another teaser which shows a part of the back of the phone: a glossy panel with an X-shaped pattern that shines according to the light hitting it. Twitter users were quick to point out how familiar this design characteristic was to the Honor 9X which was launched a few months ago. This snowballed into a cloud of doubt over Micromax’s operations.
Micromax has always prided itself in being an Indian smartphone brand. However, many of its phones were actually just rebranded devices from smaller Chinese OEMs. These manufacturers would supply the base hardware, while Micromax would take care of the software and after-sales service. Many believe that Micromax might be up to something similar with its 2020 return unless it is ready to invest hundreds of crores and take care of the entire supply chain itself.
It’s no secret that Honor and Huawei have had a tough last few months, withdrawing from many markets and slowing down in others. Getting rid of any excess inventory in this way might not be the worst idea in that sense. Of course, it is too early to tell if that is actually the case or just coincidence.
If it is true, this wouldn’t be the first partnership between the two brands. Back in July 2019, Huawei announced a strategic partnership with Micromax to use its extensive retailer network across India as a destination for sales and service.
We suggest you take this with a grain of salt as there is no real evidence suggesting a bigger partnership between the two companies. We should get a lot more clarity next week.
